A friend is moving and gave me 2 boards. They were 5'X16". They had been in her basement for a few years and had warped and cupped slightly. I cut them down the middle and clamped them straight and let them sit about 10 days. They look good. However I can't ID the wood. It appears to be soft wood and is about half the weight of Oak the same size. Maybe it is an imported wood or just some simple native wood that I don't know about. Gotta guess?

The color is about right but, the grain is too regular and close to be ash or birch. Whatever, it's a nice hunk of wood.

Looks like poplar to me.

21 minutes ago, DRAGON1 said:

Looks like poplar to me.

That was my guess, too, but poplar usually has some greenish grain areas. How heavy are the board. Poplar is fairly light.

Poplar can go from green ( young heart wood) to old, all tan wood. Depends on the size of the tree it was cut from.

Sometimes lighter/heavier than pine and with the same hard/soft lines according to the grain.

If it's all the same "softness" and color it may be basswood, good fo carving as it has a grain that's not distinct.

I've seen a lot of Poplar, none quite this clear or white. However Basswood may fit. It is light and most of the grain is hidden. I bought some many years ago to try carving. That is when I found out I'm not such a great carver.

I am thinking Sugar Pine. Very straight grain, great to work with

I am with Gerald on this one.  This is either pine or possibly aspen.  While aspen is categorized as a hardwood, it is soft and mostly very little grain shows.  I have used it for food prep boards and it did not work out very well.  It is light and takes oil very well.  

It looks like poplar to me also.

 I've looked at your suggestions on the web and if the pictures I see are true, it sure looks like Aspen. I never would have thought that because I consider it to be a nuisance, junk tree. They don't live long (30 years or less)  and their roots spread all over to start new trees. They suck up most of the water and nutrients out of my lawn. 

The largest living organism in the world is an Aspen tree here is Colorado. DNA testing shows one tree occupies a 6 mile square area .

Not being real familiar with aspens, do they grow large enough to yield a 16" board?

 

Aspen or a very good sample of poplar. 

Ron , your carving started off with the wrong wood.... Try maple using power tools and some good bits...easier than digging graves.

 

A few of my tea pots are Aspen.. Every time we go to Colo we stop at the mounties station and get a permit to cut a few aspen to bring back home for the lathe. Not the best wood for lathe work but its free...

Nope on your question Cal.. but you can find lots of 2 to 8" diameter specimens. 

I think the permit lets a person take down the bent or damaged or dying trees for 6 days worth of looking before the permit runs out...the permit is free.

8 minutes ago, Cal said:

Not being real familiar with aspens, do they grow large enough to yield a 16" board?

I have not seen many big ones up close. Our area is not that old. In the mountains it looks like they could be a foot or more across. The boards I have are glue ups. The widest board used is prob 6" During dry times when I don't mow my lawn, I can have aspen roots sprouting up all over my lawn. The tree can be 40 feet away in my neighbors yard. I did have two aspen in my yard, both died in less than 10 years, however their roots started other trees...........in my neighbors yard.

No wonder it is the largest living organism, covering a 6 mile area, if one area gets a good rain, the whole tree does. A real "root canal sys"

15 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

 

Aspen or a very good sample of poplar. 

Ron , your carving started off with the wrong wood.... Try maple using power tools and some good bits...easier than digging graves.

 

A few of my tea pots are Aspen.. Every time we go to Colo we stop at the mounties station and get a permit to cut a few aspen to bring back home for the lathe. Not the best wood for lathe work but its free...

Thank for the the advise,  due to a condition in my hands, I can't do the gripping necessary to carve.

6 hours ago, Ron Altier said:

No wonder it is the largest living organism, covering a 6 mile area, if one area gets a good rain, the whole tree does. A real "root canal sys"

Ron you might want to look at this. Largest living organism

 

But I think this is your reference Largest organisms

Edited July 3, 20205 yr by Gerald